Who are famous Stetson Law alumni?

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Marine Corps Gen. Roy Geiger, federal judge Susan C. Bucklew, six-term Congressman Joseph E. Hendricks, and journalist Craig Crawford.

Is Pam Bondi a Stetson Law graduate?

Yes — JD 1990. She was Florida's first female Attorney General (2011–19) and was confirmed as U.S. Attorney General in February 2025.

Is Stetson Law Florida's oldest law school?

Yes — founded 1900, it is the oldest law school in Florida.

Is Stetson Law still in DeLand?

No — the College of Law relocated from DeLand to Gulfport (Pinellas County) in 1954. Stetson's undergraduate and graduate programs remain in DeLand.

Who was Gen. Roy Geiger?

A Marine Corps aviation pioneer and Stetson Law 1907 graduate. At Okinawa in 1945, after the death of Army Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr., Geiger took command of the Tenth Army — the only Marine Corps officer to command an army-sized formation.

Composite image of notable Stetson Law alumni including Pam Bondi and Gen. Roy Geiger

Stetson Law's Notable Alumni — From a Marine Corps General to a U.S. Attorney General

Quick answer: Stetson University College of Law — Florida's oldest law school (founded 1900) — has graduated U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi ('90), Marine Corps legend Gen. Roy Geiger (LLB 1907), federal judge Susan C. Bucklew ('77), six-term U.S. Congressman Joseph E. Hendricks, and national journalist Craig Crawford.

Stetson's College of Law — the law program John B. Stetson's university founded in 1900 — relocated from DeLand to Gulfport (St. Petersburg) in 1954. Its DeLand years trained the Marine Corps general who commanded the Tenth Army at Okinawa; its Gulfport era produced the 87th U.S. Attorney General. The law school's alumni ledger sits at the intersection of law, government, media, and military leadership [S99, S97].

General Roy Geiger (1885–1947) — Stetson Law LLB 1907

Geiger earned his LLB from Stetson (then still in DeLand) in 1907, enlisted in the Marines the same year, and became one of the foundational figures of Marine Corps aviation. By World War II he was commanding the Fleet Marine Force Pacific. In the closing weeks of the Battle of Okinawa (1945), he took temporary command of the Tenth Army after Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. was killed by enemy fire — making Geiger the only Marine Corps officer in U.S. history to command a field army. He was inducted into the Stetson Law Hall of Fame in 2011 [S97].

"Stetson Law's 1907 graduate Roy Geiger is the only Marine Corps officer ever to command an army-sized formation in combat — at Okinawa, June 1945." [S97]

Pam Bondi (b. 1965) — Stetson Law JD 1990

Bondi earned her JD from Stetson in 1990. She served as a prosecutor in the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office for 18 years before becoming Florida's first female Attorney General (2011–2019). In February 2025 she was confirmed as the 87th U.S. Attorney General — the first Stetson Law graduate to hold that federal role [S99, S100].

Susan C. Bucklew (b. 1942) — Stetson Law JD 1977

Bucklew is a Senior U.S. District Judge in the Middle District of Florida, appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993. She took senior status in 2007 and has served continuously on the federal bench for more than three decades [S103].

Joseph E. Hendricks (1903–1988) — Stetson Law graduate

Hendricks was a six-term U.S. Congressman from Florida's 4th and 5th districts (1937–1949). He chaired the House Elections Committee and was a significant voice in mid-century Florida Democratic politics [S104].

Craig Crawford (b. 1956) — Stetson BA 1978, JD 1981

Crawford is a national political journalist and commentator — a longtime contributor to NBC and CBS news, author of three books on American politics (including Attack the Messenger: How Politicians Turn You Against the Media), and founder of the TrailMix political blog. He received Stetson's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2004 [S102].

Why Stetson Law

Oldest law school in Florida. Stetson Law (1900) predates every other Florida law school by decades, so there's a long compounding roster.
Advocacy-focused curriculum. Stetson is the #1 law school for trial advocacy in the U.S. News rankings for 25+ consecutive years. That coaching pipeline has produced a disproportionate number of prosecutors and trial lawyers who move into elected and appointed office.
Florida's legal establishment. Stetson alumni are overrepresented in Florida's state judiciary and state attorney's offices — so many of the biggest post-graduation opportunities originate in-state and propel alumni to national roles (Bondi's trajectory is the prototype).

Stetson University landmark NAS DeLand (Geiger's Marine aviation context)Famous People hub

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Frequently asked questions

Who are famous Stetson Law alumni?: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Marine Corps Gen. Roy Geiger, federal judge Susan C. Bucklew, six-term Congressman Joseph E. Hendricks, and journalist Craig Crawford. [S99, S97, S103, S104, S102]
Is Pam Bondi a Stetson Law graduate?: Yes — JD 1990. She was Florida's first female Attorney General (2011–19) and was confirmed as U.S. Attorney General in February 2025. [S99]
Is Stetson Law Florida's oldest law school?: Yes — founded 1900, it is the oldest law school in Florida.
Is Stetson Law still in DeLand?: No — the College of Law relocated from DeLand to Gulfport (Pinellas County) in 1954. Stetson's undergraduate and graduate programs remain in DeLand.
Who was Gen. Roy Geiger?: A Marine Corps aviation pioneer and Stetson Law 1907 graduate. At Okinawa in 1945, after the death of Army Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr., Geiger took command of the Tenth Army — the only Marine Corps officer to command an army-sized formation. [S97]